safety

Don’t fall down a rabbit hole!

These words have become a bit of a joke and I hear them every time I leave the house to go fell running. But joking aside fell running can be hazardous. If I’m heading somewhere remote I take emergency kit with me which will hopefully allow me to get myself out of trouble. But if something more serious happened and I was found unconscious or incoherent it would be good if the rescuer knew who I was, if I had any medical problems and who to contact other than the emergency services.

So I wear a Safesport id: a small rubber wristband that is engraved with my chosen emergency details. They come in a choice of colours and you get 4 bands of different diameters to suit a wide range of wrist sizes – even my puny wrists!

Safesport id wristband

They cost about £15 and make a useful gift.

So next time you venture out alone running, walking or on yer bike will you have some emergency id on you? There’s a lot of rabbit holes out there!

Winter fell and trail running in remote areas can be hazardous.

Have you ever had to stop running whilst wearing only a thin base layer and waterproof top? If so you will have realised that it doesn’t take long to get cold. Although you might not feel too cold whilst running, even in wet and windy weather, as soon as you stop exercising and thus producing heat you begin to cool down rapidly.

remote running in bad weather

An enforced stop, a sprained ankle for example, can easily lead to the onset of hypothermia in such conditions.

One great piece of kit that I carry on remote runs is a Blizzard Survival Bag. This is made of a highly thermally efficient material with a warmth to weight ratio exceeding even goose down. What’s more it is durable and efficient even when wet.

Blizzard Bag

The Active Range version weighs only 280 grams and is small enough to fit into a bumbag. It comes vacuum packed for ease of transport and once opened unfolds into a full length sleeping bag.

lightweight and easy to carry

easily opens to sleeping bag size

It works by trapping a layer of air between two layers of thermally reflective material. Once inside, the draw cord can be pulled tight around your head leaving a small breathing space and keeping you out of the wind and rain. Any heat your body gives off is retained within the bag rather than being lost to the elements.

snug inside the bag

At a little over £20 Blizzard Bags are a really good investment. It’s the first thing that goes into my bag when I’m off running or walking in remote areas.

Next time you’re out on a remote run think about what would happen if you or one of your group had to stop for a length of time. What state would you be in by the time help arrived? This bag might be the difference between an uncomfortable wait and something much more serious.

So get out there, run and enjoy the worst that the winter can throw at us, but stay safe.

Winter conditions can be fantastic for fell running in the Peak District.

But with cold winds and snow & ice on the hills, the remote fells can be inhospitable places, surely not the best place to run? However with a little skill and knowledge and some sensible precautions there really is no reason not to continue training on the fells and enjoy some fantastic winter landscapes.

Winter fell running

Here I talk you through some of the extra things I take with me on a remote winter run. These are in addition to hat, gloves, wind/waterproofs and food for the run.